The Atlanta Hawks center will have surgery on his sore Achilles tendon. He'll be a free agent in the offseason.

“After thoroughly reviewing the possible options with Zaza, we all felt this was the best decision to ensure Zaza’s complete recovery so that he can be at 100 percent going forward,” Hawks president and GM Danny Ferry said in a released statement. “Zaza is a professional with a strong work ethic. The Hawks will continue to be completely supportive as he tackles the return to play process.”

“Obviously you don’t want to mess with an Achilles,” Pachulia said. “That is for sure. I know from Dominique (Wilkins) that he tore his Achilles and he was out for a whole year. It’s very, very dangerous. It’s a sensitive subject where I am in my career right now."

Atlanta is 40-33 and occupies sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They're 1.5 games ahead of the Boston Celtics and a half-game behind Chicago for fifth.